Agitating teachers to decide response to govt offer on Friday

Protesting teachers across the state will decide on their next course of action at a meeting on Friday, following a letter from the government saying the teachers would get their pending arrears in two installments over the course of a year.

Protesting teachers across the state will decide on their next course of action at a meeting on Friday, following a letter from the government saying the teachers would get their pending arrears in two installments over the course of a year.

Since April, teachers affiliated to the Maharashtra Federation of College Teachers’ Organisations (MFUCTO) have been boycotting final year exam answer sheet corrections.

Their demands include payment of sixth pay commission salary dues, and placement and promotion benefits to those exempted from National Eligibility Test and State Eligibility Test requirements.

“Till our meeting takes place, there will be no official withdrawal of the boycott,” said Tapati Mukhopadhyay, general secretary of MFUCTO.

On Wednesday, the Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) issued a call for a day-long complete boycott of assessment centres. “The centres remained 100% closed, the boycott was successful,” said Madhu Paranjpe, general secretary of BUCTU.

University officials, however, claimed assessments proceeded smoothly with 600 teachers showing up at the Kalina assessment centre and 1,000 teachers at other centers. “The progress of assessment is quite good,” said Naresh Chandra, pro-vice chancellor of the university.